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A hard look at the ethics of ‘The Corporation’

Documentary examines the issue of responsibility in large companies.
/ Source: Hollywood Reporter

The attacks on the ethical and social practices of big corporations that make up this documentary will be nothing new to most educated liberals. But some thorough research, a clear presentation and a nice knit with America’s ongoing corporate scandals should prod uninformed viewers to think more deeply about the role of big business in the world.

Until recently, “The Corporation” probably would have sunk without trace. However, the hullabaloo over “Fahrenheit 9/11” and corporate scandals could pique the interest of urban audiences. Michael Moore’s appearance in the film as an interviewee is an extra draw.

The Canadian production, directed by Mark Achbar (“Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media”) and Jennifer Abbott from a book by Joel Bakan, begins with a brief legal history of corporations. Under the law, corporations have the same rights as individuals — they can sue, be sued, etc. But the focus of the documentary is to show that there’s one big difference between an individual and a corporation. Individuals are expected to show social and ethical responsibility, whereas the only responsibility a corporation has — by law — is to make the highest profit possible for its shareholders. The film says it’s this one-dimensional approach that leads to exploitation of the work force, destruction of the environment, fiddling with the books and so on.

To make their point, the filmmakers interview 40 people, including Noam Chomsky, Milton Friedman, former Royal Dutch Shell chairman Mark Moody-Smith and former Fox News journalists Jane Akre and Steve Wilson. The subject matter ranges from Third World sweatshops to the destruction of the environment to the patenting of DNA. One worrying section features commodities trader Carlton Brown describing how gold traders watching the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center felt that the tragedy had a “silver lining,” as it would drive up the price of gold.

The filmmakers allow CEOs like Moody-Smith the time to put forth the case for responsible corporations. Moody-Smith’s point is that there are some good men in corporations who can steer them in a positive direction. The filmmakers retort that these few good men can’t impose ethical responsibility on a machine built solely for making a profit. A shot of hope comes from Ray Anderson, CEO of Interface, the world’s biggest carpet manufacturer. Anderson experienced a kind of eco-epiphany and restructured one-third of his $1.4 billion company on ecologically sustainable principles.

“The Corporation” isn’t a piece of global activism advocating the overthrow of capitalism. A final section looks at how the powers of corporations can be reduced by legal and social means. Some segments such as a pre-“Fahrenheit” Moore discussing why Disney releases the films of an avowed anti-corporate like himself are dated, and there’s precious little about Worldcom or Enron. But the film will still prove a tonic to those holding left-of-center views.